The Priston Festival

Details of performers will be added as they become available.

3inabar	A group of local musicians committed to live music who meet occasionally in the Ring O'Bells for informal folk-oriented performances. If you are interested in joining in or just want to be informed of future sessions please contact 3inabar@googlemail.com (Pub, Fri, 9-11pm, Free)
Amadou, Sketch & Benji	A World Music collective. See web-site. (Green, Sat, 2-3pm, Free)
Bath Youth Gospel Choir	Bath Youth Gospel Choir is for 10-16 year olds who enjoy singing and performing funky, uplifting and soulful music. BYGC perform a diverse range of music from traditional and contemporary gospel, through to soul, RnB and other popular genres. See web-site. (Church, Sun, 11.3-12.30pm, Free)
Benji Bartlett	Benji teaches guitar and bass, writes songs, repairs and builds guitars, and is passionate about his music. See web-site. (Hall, Sat, 11am, Free)
Bethan James & Lucy Beveridge	© Dave Beveridge 2009 www.davebeveridgephotography.com Lucy Beveridge is a recent graduate from The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where she studied flute as her principal instrument. Bethan James, music graduate from Cardiff University, is currently undertaking post graduate piano studies at Trinity College of Music in London. Lucy and Bethan perform music from the Baroque to the contemporary. (Church, Sat, 7.20-8pm, Free)
Expresso Jazz	Formerly the Adrian Hillier Jazz Quartet, which played to the 2008 Festival from the Old Post Office lawn. (Hall, Sun, 7.30-9.30pm, Tickets)
Ffred Jones	Singer/songwriter from Newport, South Wales who is currently promoting his debut EP "Eyes and Ears". His music is characterised by intricate guitar-picking and has a languid and beguiling style You can sample Ffred's music and read reviews on his website. (Hall, Sat,8-11.30pm, Tickets)
Gypsomania	Shirly (accordianist), Peter and Guy (violinists) have taken to gypsy music with a real zest. While all three have many varied musical experiences from Classical to Barndances, Proms to Swing , `Gypsy` is where `it`s at` right now. So from Radstock, Bitton and Yate we look forward to providing you with entertainment to enjoy and to join in! (Green, Sat, 1-2pm, Free)
Jacqui & Brian Ross	Jacqui and Brian Ross are local musicians, singers and story-tellers. Singing together and individually, they perform at folk clubs and festivals, run singarounds and workshops, and are also members of “Called To Be Saints” West Gallery Choir. Their recently launched show 'Tyrants and Traitors - Songs and stories from the American Civil War' has received excellent reviews. Jacqui & Brian will be leading the Survivor's session in the Ring O'Bells on the Sunday evening. (Pub, Sat, 9.30pm-midnight, Free)
Jo Sercombe	Jo is President of the Priston Festival and was formerly Head of Music at the Institute of Contemporary Interdisciplinary Arts at the University of Bath. She has extensive experience of organising community arts projects and also performs and teaches singing. Jo led the performance of the LIFTED Gospel choir in the 2008 Festival, and will be leading the Big Sing Workshop on the 2009 Festival Sunday. (Hall,Sun, 3-4pm, Free)
John Shaw	John Shaw will be playing the Appalachian dulcimer at the Survivors' Session on Sunday evening in the Ring O'Bells. See here for info on John's CD. (Pub, Sat, 9.30pm-midnight, Free)
King Street Singers	A local singing group which specialises in church music and madrigals. (Church, Sun, 6-7pm, Free)
Leonardo's Bicycle	melancholic melodic mayhem! See website. (Green, Sat, 3-4pm, Free)
The Mayan Magician	Cris was born near Lake Ilopango (outskirts of San Salvador, El Salvador, hence the interest in the Mayan people) 15th March 1989. Cris first gained an interest in magic and illusion at the age of 7. It was not until he was 16 that he started looking at magic seriously. Initially doing magic with cards, he then moved onto mentalism, and other forms of magic. Cris Nevin uses his own unique style of magic to amaze and mystify any audience. He mainly specialises in the strange and paranormal close-up magic, but is not limited to that! Cris will be doing magic on the Village Green on Saturday/Sunday afternoons. See website. (Green, Sat/Sun pm, Free)
Mean Red Spiders	"Bristol's Best (& Hairiest) Chicago Blues Band!". This is a blues band with a difference! Their unusual look coupled with their authentic blues sound has proven to be a real hit with live music fans for almost five years. Already well respected on the Bristol blues scene, they are now on a mission to make the Chicago/New Orleans blues style of the popular with new, younger audiences throughout the UK. Their performances of songs by legends such as Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Elmore James, Paul Butterfield, Otis Spann and Ray Charles will excite and delight the blues nerd and novice alike! Listen and find more details on the web-site. (Hall, Sat,8-11.30pm, Tickets)
Phil Ridgers	Philip graduated from Bath Spa University in 2008 with a degree in Music. A keen pianist, he has been involved in a number of performances in and around Bath, singing with Bath Minerva Choir, and also accompanying the Norton St Philip based Phoenix Choir. Philip enjoys listening to and playing a diverse repertoire, from Classical music to more dissonant 20th Century styles, such as compositions by Charles Ives and Benjamin Britten. (Church, Fri, 7.30-8.45pm, Free)
Pink Froot	Pink Froot play . . evocative songs expressing the poetry of desire, tales of innocent love, death and obsession, chosen for their powerful lyrics and haunting melodies, exploring the genres of traditional and contemporary folk, jazz and blues, written from the heart, forged on the anvil that is Pink Froot. These songs are enriched and entwined with thoroughly modern arrangements of traditional Celtic and Eastern European instrumentals ranging from achingly slow airs through to rattling reels. Pink Froot are Ann Ballinger, flute, Esther Jay, vocals, Chris Pink, guitar, Chris Morgan, bodhran and Julia D on bass. See web-site. (Green, Sat, 4-5pm, Free)
Silverstones Quartet	Silverstones Quartet were formed following a conversation between musicians brought together by the Priston Festival 2008. The four local musicians from Farmborough, Timsbury and Priston are Chris Storey (Cello), Sam Ross (Viola), Louise Jenkins (Violin) and Robert Davies (Violin). Providing the outgoing music to the Sunday morning church service at Priston Festival 2009 will be their first public performance together. Come and hear Haydn's String Quartet in F, Op. 74, No.2: I. Allegro Spirituoso. (Church, Sun, 9.30-10.30am, Free)
Sulis Wind Trio	The Sulis Wind Trio first began to play as a group in June 2006. Since then the trio has gone on to give a number of concerts locally All three members live or at one time have lived in Bath and are closely connected with the music scene there. Peter Rees (oboe) is a music graduate from Birmingham University who is a freelance performer and teacher. Wayne Wilkins (clarinet) has a keen interest in and enthusiasm for music-making and concert work. Jean Crook (bassoon) is a long-valued member of the Bath Symphony Orchestra. (Church, Fri, 7.30-8.45pm, Free)
Thornbridge	Thornbridge are Andy and Barbara Rusbridge and Guy Hawthorn, a trio singing mostly traditional English folk songs, mostly unaccompanied but introducing a cello, keyboard, bazouki, guitar and viola here and there. They will be performing in the Survivor's session in the Ring O'Bells on Sunday night. See website. (Pub, Sat, 9.30pm-midnight, Free)